The big screen adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's "MW," starring Hiroshi Tamaki and Takayuki Yamada, is scheduled for a July 4 release. But a few days before the opening, NTV will broadcast an original "MW" television drama special as well.

The drama is titled "MW Chapter 0: Akuma no Game" and is set several months before the actual story in Tezuka's manga. The main character is man named Takashi Morioka, who has lost his job and his home due to a recession. He ends up falling into a trap set by the diabolical Michio Yuuki (Tamaki), and in order to protect the things important to him, he is forced to stain his hands in evil.

Rising actor Takeru Sato, who is best known for fighting on the side of good in "Kamen Rider Den-O," will be taking on the role of Morioka. Like the movie, the drama will be directed by Hitoshi Iwamoto.

The "MW" drama is scheduled to air on NTV on June 30 at 9:00pm.

- Tokyograph